Maple bugs taking over Regina

The insects, also known as Boxelder beetles, are making their way into homes in order to find warmth as the weather gets cooler.

“The reason that you’re seeing so many of them now is because they pop out in large swarms on the sunny part of the day,” Shawn Sherwood with Poulin’s Pest Control said. “At night when it gets cold, because insects are exothermic, they try finding their way into your house and when they do they fly around and are generally very irritating.”

The bugs feed on the leaves of boxelders and maple trees. Sherwood said they have received a slight increase in calls regarding the insect but nothing too out of the ordinary.

Sherwood warned people to not smack one of them on the wall because they leave a red stain that is very difficult to get rid of.

“Actually the best way inside to take care of them is too grab the vacuum cleaner and vacuum them up, it works really well.”